Smoky, saucy baked beans with crispy bacon and a sweet-tangy barbecue glaze.
8 steps, about 65 minutes start to finish.
Add dried beans, 8 cups water, and 1 tsp salt to the Instant Pot. Cook on Manual for 25 minutes, then allow to naturally release pressure.
Drain and rinse the cooked beans with cold water.
Using the Instant Pot on Saute mode, cook the chopped bacon until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove excess grease.
Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the bacon. Saute until softened and translucent, scraping up the fond from the bottom.
Add the barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine.
Add the cooked beans back into the pot and stir everything together.
Wipe the rim of the Instant Pot, seal the lid, and cook on Manual for 12-15 minutes.
Allow to naturally release pressure. Taste and adjust salt as needed before serving.
“Cook and drain the beans first, then build the sauce right in the pot so it picks up the bacon fond. Taste for salt only at the very end, the bacon and barbecue sauce add plenty on their own.”
